


Affliction

by CorvidConundrum



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Awkwardness, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 03:37:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5852527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvidConundrum/pseuds/CorvidConundrum





	1. the symptoms

He scrolled through the files, the bleaching light of the computer monitor burning his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and when the pounding in his head didn’t subside he sighed, lit a cigarette, and cranked the large screw in his head. Fatigue beat at him in waves, irritation mounting as he fought to keep his focus on the work in front of him. He'd been sitting there for hours, scanning through both known diseases and unknown, sifting through the symptoms. Not a single one in his data base was a direct match and he'd already spent the whole weekend flicking through all the old files and medical books. He'd found absolutely nothing. Sure some held similarities wasn’t close enough to fit. The closest diagnosis that fit was an atrial fibrillation and he had already monitored the pulse and even opened his chest to ensure that everything was as it should be. Even that didn't fully cover all the other symptoms. He took a long drag off the cigarette, watching the end flare up as he did, then slowly exhaled. The smoke crawled up in thick tendrils curling around his nose and up behind his glasses. 

His vision blurred as his eyes lost focus. He became so absorbed in his thoughts that he nearly jumped when the sound of the front door ricocheted off the quiet walls slamming into his ears. Instead he turned his ear towards the sound, there was no need for him to turn around completely. Not when the warmth hit him. The wavelength was all too familiar to him and sighed, the sigh turning into almost a hiss as light which had been turned on assaulted his eyes. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. “Sitting in the dark again? You're not doing your eyes any favors you know that right?” He turned and looked at Marie leaning back in his seat. She had two brown paper sacks pressed up against her shirt as she shut the door behind her. Her eyes met his when she caught him staring and gave him that smile she always gave him. Her gaze flickered to all the files and books that were scattered and stacked in leaning towers on and around his desk. “What're you working on?” She asked walking into the small kitchen area to put the contents of the bags up. He stood and went to help her put it up, not because she needed help but because it was something to do tat got him away from the files. “Just some research” He murmured pulling the loaf of bread from one of the sacks on the small counter. He turned and bumped into Marie losing his balance. He threw up a hand to keep from falling, hand gripping the top of the fridge behind her, his legs at an awkward angle. Stein blinked starring down at her, glasses slipping from the bridge of his nose. she stared up at him with a surprised expression, color creeping onto her face. 

“Uh Stein?” she said pressing herself against the fridge, either trying to disappear into it or make herself smaller. He blinked again, unable to fully process a thought well enough to respond. He was beginning to feel the symptoms again. He could feel his core body temperature begin to rise, his heart fluttered and his thoughts raced though none were within his grasp or even comprehensible. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly as dry as the desert that surrounded the city. His knees began to waver but it was as if his feet were filled with cement, they wouldn’t budge. Perhaps it was an allergic reaction to her wave length he thought. Being near her was the only time the symptoms began. He felt a bead of sweat slide down his back and he opened his mouth to say something but was unable to. “You feeling ok?” She asked reaching up and placing her palm on his forehead as if to check for fever. The second her palm touched him it felt as if electricity arced between the two of them. 

Stein managed to croak out an undignified “Yeah” as he straightened himself. He looked at the loaf of bread in his hand which had been smushed in his grip as he took his other hand of the fridge. He gently grasped Marie's hand that had been on his forehead and dropped the loaf of bread in it before turning and walking to the door. “I'm going out for a bit.” He said not turning back lighting a cigarette. He shut the door quietly behind him and started walking. Maybe it was a lack of sleep or his hypothesis of an allergic reaction. Though he highly doubted both, the former especially since he had gone far longer periods of time when they were younger with out sleep. He drew a shaky breath before taking a long drag off the cigarette.


	2. 2

He hadn't intended on ending up on spirits door step but that's precisely where he was. He knocked on the door, three short knocks. He'd been accused of having an FBI agents knock by spirit when he was still partners with him. He wasn’t entirely certain as to what that meant at the time and still wasn't. He stood there in the fading amber light of evening. He glanced up at the darkening sky which had a deep violet hint, the stars just starting to bight at the horizon. Stein checked his watch, spirit normally answered the door somewhat quicker and the house in front of him was silent and dark, maybe he was at Chupacbras. He'd been spending quiet a bit of time there since he and Kami separated. Just as he was about to walk off he heard the lock on the door click. Stein held out a cigarette to spirit as the door cracked. Spirit looked him over with a slightly irritated and distrustful expression, his hair and clothes askew. “Whats going on Stein?” spirit said as he opened the door wider leaning against the door frame, plucking the cigarette from his hand and lighting it. Stein squeezed past the red head, lighting a new cigarette off the stub that hung from his mouth before tossing the stub onto the porch. Stein wordlessly cranked the screw in his head as he stood analyzing the living area. 

Spirit shut the door furrowing his brow. “Something on your mind?” He asked pulling stein from his thoughts. “I've been doing some research lately and its became troubling” Stein said as he picked up a framed picture of a much younger maka with a bright smile. “Oh?” spirit asked plopping down on the couch, bracing himself for lengthy ramblings. “I believe I may be dying” He said not looking away from the picture. Spirit choked, coughing out a mass of smoke and grasping at his throat. “What-” was all he managed to squeeze out as he gasped for breath until his coughing subsided. “What're you going on about” Stein turned to face his former partner whose face was almost as red as his hair from the coughing fit. “Either I'm dying, from an unknown disease which when I die I need you to dissect me. Or im having a severe allergic reaction.” “Right, what are the symptoms?” spirit asked, stein could tell he wasn't taking it seriously and merely humoring him. He sighed sitting on the arm rest of a love seat. “Heart palpitations, fever, lack of focus, chills, loss of balance, loss of sleep, euphoria, and few others. All interment of course.”   
“Interment?”   
“Yes”  
“When precisely do you suffer from these 'symptoms' ?”  
Stein hesitated furrowing his brow. Pinpointing every exact moment that the symptoms hit him in the past. “Any time I'm near or resonating with Marie” he said taking a long drag from the cigarette, the ember creeping up it almost a full inch.   
Spirit blinked incredulously staring at him for a few seconds that seemed to stretch out for an eternity until he began laughing uproariously. He doubled over nearly falling into the floor as the fit hit him. His face turned a deep purple color and tears streamed down his face looking up at him trying to speak but rendered completely unable to.   
Stein sighed frowning deeply, smoked curling from his nostrils as he exhaled.


	3. 3

Spirit shakily stood, still chuckling, and placed a hand on Steins shoulder. “Have you told her?” He asked bemused wiping the tears from his face with the other hand. Stein swallowed, running a hand through his hair as he pulled away from spirit. “No. She probably wouldn't handle it too we'll, you know how easily she shows her emotions.” Stein could tell he was trying to fight back another bought of laughter. “Look, Stein, I don't think you're dying. In fact I think you're 'symptoms' may be something she suffers from too.” spirit said making air quotes as he said symptoms.   
He blinked. “You think its contagious?”   
“Only between you two.” Spirit said with a snicker.   
Stein frowned even deeper uncertain as to whether or not he was being taken seriously.   
“Tell her and I'm sure you'll find the exact diagnosis of what you suffer from.” Spirit said patting his shoulder with a wide grin.   
Stein rolled his eyes shaking his head and heading to the door. “Perhaps you could run a few tests on her to verify it.” Spirit called out in a sing song voice which was followed by another fit of laughter which could still be heard even after stein had slammed the door behind him. 

It was dark by the time he trudged into the labs, the door quietly closing behind him. He stood quietly in the door way for a few minutes collecting his thoughts as he played with the lint in his lab coats pockets. He made no sound as he padded into the kitchen area, guided by the smell of cooking that assured him Marie was in there. He walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. She let out a small noise somewhere between an undignified squeak and a startled gasp. She turned to face him, turning the fire on the stove off. “Wha-” She stopped seeing the expression on his face. A strange fell on her face when he placed a hand on her forehead nearly enveloping the entirety of the upper portion of her face. He took note of the rising temperature he felt and the way the vein in her throat fluttered as her pulse picked up. She was fidgeting with the hems of her sleeves. He took his hand back and motioned for her to follow him silently. “Stein whats going on?” She asked not moving, she placed her hands on her hips as if defiant though her voice wavered. He gave an exasperated sigh. Walked over to her, and picked her up. Bridal style. Then headed into his office. “Ste-in” Marie hollered and stein took not of the sudden clamminess of his skin and the way something in his chest pulled at him but didn't say a word. 

He sat Marie on the edge of his desk and sat in his chair yanking out a drawer in the desk. She moved to slide off the desk and he placed a hand on her shoulder bringing thermometer up to her lips. She opened her mouth as if to raise more questions but he merely slipped the end of the thermometer into her mouth and put on his stethoscope. Marie was scowling at him, arms crossed as she watched him. Stein arched a brow holding the stethoscopes end up wordlessly. The thermometer beeped and she opened her mouth as he retrieved it. “What the heck is going on stein? Whats gotten into you today?” She asked not lowering her arms. “Just checking on something.” He said simply gesturing to the stethoscope. The response didn't seem to appease her and she merely looked at him questioningly. He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “There may be a -” he paused his free hand acting as if to grasp a lost word for a moment before continuing. “Sickness going around.” He finished in a quiet rush. She furrowed her brow, arms dropping only marginally. “Is it serious?” She asked. “I'm not certain yet, the symptoms are just surfacing.” He said pushing her arms down and pressing the stethoscope to her chest. He placed it at the various points on her chest, stomach and back taking not of everything her heard as he did. 

Her breathing sounded some what shallower but still normal. Her heart even sounded perfectly fine until he went to lift up the back of her shirt, skipping a beat before slightly quickening its pace. He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and began making notes on the yellow legal pad he always kept on his desk. 

“How have you been feeling lately?” He asked pen hovering above the paper.   
“Perfectly fine.” She said shifting on the desk.   
“How have you been sleeping?”   
“Fine” She leaned forward trying to look at the notes he was suddenly fervently making on the pad.   
“Any lose of focus?” He asked leaning back in his chair.   
“No, Stein what are you-” She reached for the note pad stopping when she took note of the expression on his face. “Tell me whats going on.” She said quietly.


	4. 4

He leaned back in the chair fully starring at her with as vacant an expression as he could manage pulling out the pack of cigarettes, bumping one out, and lighting it. He mused to himself that it may even be peaceful or reassuring.“You may not like what I'm going to say.” He murmurs looking over the rim of his glasses at her. At this she began fidgeting again and he fought to keep from frowning. “Just tell me what it is, please.” He felt an odd flutter in his chest at the way she said that last word, this time unable to keep the frown from forming. 

“Heart palpitations, fever, lack of focus, chills, loss of balance, loss of sleep and a few other things. These are some of the symptoms, that I've been experiencing. Intermittently.” He said as clinically as he could manage. “Have you started having the nightmares again?” She asked quietly. He felt the rhythm of her soul wave length change and expand towards him. He bit into the filter of his cigarette, nearly cringing as the feeling of it against his skin spread. It didn't hurt but his heart skipped a beat, he could feel his core temperature begin to rise starting to feel like fire beneath his skin, and he could feel the vague euphoric sensation that clouded his mind every time they resonated. He stared down at the floor. Thinking to himself that they had never ceased in the first place but he couldn't bring himself to utter the words. Instead he pretended as if the words were unheard. She must have noticed his unease on the subject because she cleared her throat before speaking again, this time a little louder. “What made you check if I was having the same condition. His gaze rose slowly watching as her lips moved. “Spirit suggested it.” He said taking a drag. He frowned at the lack of airflow through the partially mutilated filter, pulling it out to roll it between his fingers in an attempt to rectify the issue.   
“Why would he suggest something like that?” She said. Her expression as she said it was a mixture of disbelief and complete confusion.   
“Because the only time I feel them is when were near each other, or resonating.” He said bluntly   
She furrowed her brows, slightly turning her head as if to get a better view of him through her one eye. He could tell she was trying to piece together the information he had just laid at her feet. She blinked opening her mouth as if to say something then closed it, her eye widening. She opened her mouth again, color began to creep up her face and was beginning to look out right astounded. He frowned deeper when when she opened her mouth a third time and nothing came out. “Marie?” He asked.


	5. 5

Her hands flew up to hide her face. “It's not an illness Stein.” She said, the words were muffled and nearly inaudible between quiet giggles. He blinked leaning in closer uncertain if her had heard her correctly. “Marie?” He asked, reaching out to her. Her hands slid down, now only covering her mouth as she looked at him. Her face was still red as she eyed him, eye sparkling. He stared at her questioningly cocking his head to the side. The ashes at the end of his cigarette fell into a small grey pile onto his lap. “What do you mean?” He said flatly placing his hand on the desk next to her. She starred at his hand a moment before gently grabbing it. A tingling sensation shot from his finger tips and every point at which their hands connected. He swallowed, hand twitching. “You. Are a clueless dork” She says. Fighting back laughter. 

He stared at her hand for a moment before looking back up at her. She wrapped both her hands around his and used it to pull him closer. “There… comes a point and time when two people…. Who l-like each other...enjoy being around each other.”She was stuttering, her face was regaining any redness it had lost. “I know what sex is Marie.” He said dryly. Her face was beyond any natural shade of red. “That's not where I was taking this.” she said dropping his hand and crossing her arms. “Oh?” He asked arching a brow. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “This isn't a spike of libido its-.” Her hands wrung at each other. She sighed and slid off the desk and grabbed his face. His mind didn't have any time to process the feeling of her hands because the second it registered her face was pressed to his. Her lips crushing against his. His heart literately stopped and it felt as if he were going to melt into a puddle on the floor. 

When she pulled away from him, hands still on his face. He felt his mouth fall into the shape of an “Oh” for a moment before closing it. He opened I again but couldn't for a coherent thought much less push a sentence out. He finally managed to push out a weak “What?”


	6. 6

She laughed and ran her thumbs over the stubble. Leaning close again she rested her forehead on his. “It's not an illness, or your libido. Which leaves-” She left the last word hanging in the air. He furrowed his brow. “Insanity” He said placing his hands on hers. She sighs and leans back frowning at the smirk on his face. He used her hands to pull her into his lap, grasping both of her slim wrists in one of his hands. He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers lightly. 

“Love?” He said questioningly, voice so quiet he almost couldn't hear it over the thud of his heart. The word felt odd in his mouth, foreign and thick, but the meaning of it felt right. It astounded him. Her face was red again, pupil growing to engulf all but a small sliver of her amber iris. She swallowed. He watched before pressing his lips gently against hers trailing light kisses down to her jawline and to her neck. He bit the skin and nearly pulled back when he heard her exhale, stopping when he noticed her lift her chin. Barring her throat more for him, her wave length rising to completely encompass his. He bit slightly harder sucking as he did. He felt her body drain of all tension. He rose back to her face, vision growing fuzzy as he looked down at her. 

She looked at him, her expression suddenly changing when she saw his. She pulled he hands from his wordlessly, knowing already what was passing through his head. It was hard for him to hide his emotions from her this close especially when they were sharing wave lengths. Not that he wanted to hide this from her. He wanted her to see him fully. As if to give her a chance to back out. He felt the scalding line the tear carved as it slid from his eyes. She lifted his glasses and wiped it away, kissing where it had been. She kissed his forehead, his eyes, and lips so gently. He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer and kissing her fiercely. He drew a shaky breath and kissed her again his hands massaging her back. She bit his bottom lip lightly sucking it into her mouth. His breath flew out in a shudder and he felt his hands fumble with the bottom of her shirt, suddenly craving the feeling of her skin. He pulled back, rested his face against her collar bone as he fought to regain to control of his breathing. She ran her hands through his hair, turning his head and planting a kiss where the bolt met his skull. He felt his nerves jolt when she did. He raised his head, his hands slipping farther up her shirt.

His hands traced his fingers along her rib cage. He looked into her eye questioning.


	7. 7

She slipped his glasses off his face and he blinked. His heart was hammering when she laid kiss on his neck as she pushed his coat off. He lifter her shirt higher finding the swell of her breasts, running his thumbs over them before slipping back to unclasp the bra. He lifter her shirt, stopping when it was covering all but the bottom portion of her face. He wrapped the material tight in his hand, using his other to press her to him his hand in the small of her back. He kissed her, nibbling at her bottom lip. Her lips parted slightly and he nudged them farther apart slipping his tongue in. His hand slipped farther down toying with the edge of her skirt. 

He pulled away gasping pulling the shirt fully off, he tossed it to the floor and slipped his hands down to cup her as as he stood. He pushed the files off the desk as he placed her on the desk again his hands pulling away running his hands down her sides. She lifted the thick woolen sweater he wore. He pulled it of his head, catching momentarily on the bolt and he curse himself for not remembered to unfasten the buttons. He threw the thing behind him and pulled at the material of her skirt, slipping it down around her calves, kissing her lightly. His lips were light against hers, as light as his hands as they slipped between her thighs massaging them. Her arms wrapped around, hands knotting in his hair, his neck kissing him deeper. The skirt fell to the floor when he spread her legs and he pressed himself between her legs leaving just enough space for the hand the pressed against the thin material. A small eager noise against his lips as he did. With his other hand he undid his pants, letting them fall to the floor, pooling around his feet. The air against his skin seemed cooler than it had earlier, making his hair stand on end. His fingers made languorous circles around the thin material before slipping behind it. 

She was slick and the feeling of the moisture on his fingers as he slipped a finger slowly into the opening caused his mind to go into a fog, he growled pulling back from the kiss, his breathing ragged. She looked down and blinked, obviously slightly surprised by the fact he wasn't wearing boxers. He managed to tear her a small gasp from her mouth as he began rubbing against her clit, the finger inside of her crooking against her inner wall hitting her in just the right way, tearing her away from her. She pulled herself to his chest, arms wrapping tighter around his neck as she buried her face in his neck. Her breath was hot against his skin sending a small chill down his spine. She bucked, her spine arching, a small keening noise slithering from her lips. He withdrew his hand, pulling the panties off as his did, gripping her hips he rubbed the tip of him against her opening. She squirmed trying to get the closer, wrapping her legs around him. He slipped into her slowly, every inch of his skin beginning to throb. He stopped when their pelvis's met waiting a moment before inching back out. He pressed back into her, swiveling his hips as he did, faster this time. He bean to thrust into her with a steady rhythm his hands tracing the lines of her his hands rising up to cup her breasts. He kneaded them gently, rolling the nipples between his thumb and forefinger. 

He could feel a pressure begin to build at the base of his spine with each movement he made and Marie was moaning his name into his ear making his pace waver. He felt the blunt of her nails dig into his skin as he fought to keep his focus quickly loosing the fight as he felt her body begin to spasm and contract around him. She let out a sharp gasp and he felt the world melt away around them. His heart threatened to dig its self out of his rib cage, beating so hard his body shook. His legs wavered and his body shuddered.


	8. 8

They leaned against each other, placing gentle kisses on each other as they clung to each other, for what felt like hours. When it felt as if his knees where about to finally give out on him pulled back slowly. The air in the room was cold against his skin especially on the spots where they had been touching. He knelt pulling his pants up reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to hold her but he resisted, and picked up his shirt. He looked at it for a moment considering before pulling the material over Marie's head. Her expression was confused, her hair a mess or at least worst of a mess then it was before, when she managed to slip her head through the collar. He wrapped his arms around her, her arms having not found their way to the sleeves yet, and kissed her. He kissed her like she was an exotic wine that rolled over his tongue in a sweet wave and couldn't get enough of it. He felt her smile against his lips and he couldn't help but smile himself. He trailed kisses down the side of her neck, nuzzling into the skin where her neck and shoulder met. His mouth watered at the smell of her skin. The faint smell of vanilla soap with the undercurrent of something more natural. He took a deep breath of it in, as if to wrap his inside in it, before pulling back from her again. 

“You hungry?” he asked softly. She slipped her hands through the sleeves and nodded slipping of the desk. The shirt fell to her knees, the sleeves were bunched around her wrists, and the collar was yawning around her neck yet for some implacable reason it gave him a deep feeling of satisfaction to see it on her. He reached for a cigarette, stopping to stare at the pack before putting it back in his pocket. The taste of her still lingered and he wasn't too eager to chase it off. She ran a hand through her hair as she watched him with a questioning look. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they headed towards the kitchen.


End file.
